Storybrooke is my home
by vmvf2000
Summary: I made this one-shot to explain why Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke in 'Second Chances' (my other fanfic), because since the portal thing doesn't happen, Emma still has to change her mind somehow about leaving. That's where Hook comes in handy, haha. Captain Swan feelings all the way!


**A/N: So, I decided to make this one shot to clarify why Emma stayed in Storybrooke at the end of chapter 5 of the fanfic 'Second Chances'. If you haven't read that one, this won't make a lot of sense, it's better to read that story and understand. Hoping you'll like it, please leave your thoughts, though. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time.**

Emma Swan was the kind of person who usually maintained her emotions and thoughts to herself. She had lived, in all her life, alone and independently. That was until Henry showed up at that night in Boston. He changed her fate completely with four words: "I am your son." No, Emma wasn't complaining. Getting to know her kid was one of the most amazing things that had ever happened to her. But along with it, came the burden of being the Savior. High expectations come to that title. Everything was a lot easier when she was just the Sheriff of a small town in Maine; no pressure at all.

Having to leave her family just after she had been reunited with them was terrible. If she could, she would've done anything to go back in time – _ha, you get it? Zelena, her plan… Either way, pun intended _– and change everything regarding Greg, Tamara and, finally, Peter Pan. She would be forever grateful for what Regina did – giving new memories – and securing that Emma would've had her 'happy ending'. Of course, they were false memories, but regardless, for her, it felt real, and the last year surely was.

The blonde was feeling cornered. Everyone was demanding for her not to leave. She needed to think. And for that to happen, she had to leave the diner. Emma ran to the park. She didn't really know why, but that was where she and Henry had talked about Neal, so it became a good place to think. Emma hadn't even realized that Hook had followed her. Sitting at the bench, she crossed her legs under herself and stared straight ahead, trying to figure out what to do.

"You're making a mistake." She was lucky she had heard his steps, since everything was so quiet in the park, otherwise she would've startled, that's for sure. "I don't want to talk to you about this." She replied to Hook.

"Don't listen to me, listen to your son," Turning her head towards him, Hook picked the fairytales book from his bag. "He thought this might remind you what you're leaving behind: your family."

"Henry is my family, and I'm taking him where he is safe." 

"No, Swan. Safety first nonsense is just that. You defeated the bloody Wicked Witch. You defeated Pan. _You_ broke the curse. And you keep running. What're you looking for?"

"Home." Her voice was low now. Emma knew that he was right, but she was afraid, now more than ever.

"And that's in New York? That wasn't real."

"The last year was."

"They were forced memories. It was based on magical nonsense." Killian was starting to get inpatient. He always knew Emma had a thick skull, but he didn't imagine it was going to be this hard.

"Now we have our memories back. Now we can make it real."

"Why can't you do that here, with your entire family?" The blonde looked to the book. "Because of this," She opened the book. "I don't see my family here, I see… Fairytales. I see stories of princes and princesses. I… That's not me," She flicked through some pages. "I was never a part of any of this." Finally sitting down next to her, he asked, "Then what are you a part of, Swan?"

"Besides being with Henry, I don't think I've ever been a part of anything."

"But you could be."

Frustrated, she closed the book and turned half of her body so that she was staring straight in his eyes. "Look, when I was a kid, I ran away. It was just what I did. But the first time I did it, I had the same exact thought: 'I wonder, what if, I'm making a mistake? What if I miss this place?'"

"Did you?"

"Not the first time. Not any time." Her eyes showed that she was reminding herself of the past. "So you just kept running." He finished for Emma.

"I learned something a long time ago, Hook. Home is the place, when you leave, you just miss it," The blonde's bottom lips quivered, but she pushed herself to continue, "So yeah, I'm gonna keep running until I _feel_ that."

"So you're just gonna leave your parents, then. You don't even care about them… Or anyone, in this town?" She softened a little bit more, and softly replied, "Of course I care. I just have to do what's right for me and Henry and…" Emma tried blinking away the tears that gathered in her eyes, looking anywhere but at him. "And… Honestly, I'm…"

"You're what, Swan?" Hook saw a single tear going down her face, and with his thumb gently swept it away.

"I'm… afraid. I'm afraid, because everyone expects everything from me, and I just want a normal life. I sound so selfish right now! If you hadn't shown up in New York, my life would continue to be NORMAL! How did you do it? How did you get to me in the first place?"

Lips curving in a smirk of amusement, he replied gently, "When the curse was coming, I ditched my crew in the Jolly Roger as fast and as far as I possibly could and toward running. And once I was outside the curse's **purview**, I knew that the walls were down, transport between the worlds was possible again, and all I needed was a magic bean."

Emma was calming down now, and softly replied, "And it was not easy to come by."

"Not if you have something valuable to trade…"

"And what was that?"

Refusing to meet her eyes for a moment, Killian told her, "Why, the Jolly Roger, of course."

"You gave up your ship for me?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You sacrificed the thing you love most so you could go to me?"

"Swan…" He sighed. This was his last chance. Finding her eyes again and getting the last bit of courage within him, he almost whispered to her, "The thing I love most is looking to me right now; of course I had to give up The Jolly Roger. Your family needed you."

Emma was stunned to say the least. Who would've believed that the same man she met while in the Enchanted Forest, a cocky pirate with bad attitude could've given up his beloved ship only to find her? She looked intently in his eyes, finding the truth behind his statement, and got lost in those beautiful blue orbs. The blonde realized that not only she would leave her family behind; she would leave this handsome pirate who clearly loved her with all his being.

They were getting closer and closer, drawn to each other by an inexplicable force. Emma drifted her gaze to his lips whilst unconsciously licking her own. Getting the confirmation he needed, he joined their lips softly and gently at first, testing the boundaries.

After she started kissing him back, he gained confidence and the kiss became more passionate. The electric buzzing around them made them seek for contact more and more. This kiss, unlike the first one, which was consumed by raw passion, had a sweet tenderness attached to it.

Only when oxygen became a necessity, they opened their eyes almost as if both were synchronized, and Emma saw emotions at his eyes she immediately recognized as love.

Killian noticed tears falling from her eyes freely now. She was finally breaking her walls in front of him. He didn't think twice before giving her a peck on her forehead, nose, and, to finish, he kissed the salty tears on her cheeks away. With a reassuring smile and both of her hands in his, he tried his best to reassure her that it was fine to be afraid.

"Everyone is afraid of something, Emma. But we have to face our fears. Leaving won't help in anything; and I know that this is your home for sure. You may think that with me needing you, as well as your family, is because you're the savior, but that's not true. We need you because we care about you and you complete our lives. It's time to stop running, don't you think?"

"It's so easy for you to say… What if tomorrow a… Wait, never mind. I won't even say the name of a creature, because I can't doubt that it can, and probably is, real," Emma tried to chuckle and it came out more as an attempt to stop sobbing. "I do know that my family is here, and Henry would be devastated if we left everything behind. Also, I _want_ to stop running. But I'm scared that I'll be separated from them again, Killian. I don't know what I would do if I had to go away again because a curse or something similar happens."

"I can't promise you that that won't happen again, love. But what I can promise you is that me and everyone else will do everything in its power to fight for your safety and assure you every single day things won't deteriorate so simply," He finished cleaning her tears, now only caressing her cheekbone with his thumb and staring at those green eyes full of, at last, hope and trust. She trusted him to keep his promise, and hadn't even noticed that she was leaning in his touch, being reassured of the impossible.

For the time being, Emma Swan would trust that everything would be alright. She'll live with her family and friends, and let herself be cared. She'll push her fears aside. Yes, the blonde had spent her entire life alone, independent and with her walls extremely high, not letting people in after Neal. But maybe, just maybe, things could change from now on. It was worth a shot, right? She has all these amazing people surrounding her who stop at nothing to defend and protect her, and she'll do the same for them.

"So, what do you say, love? Will you stay in Storybrooke at last?"

"Yes, I'll stay in Storybrooke. This is home."

"Either way, we should probably make our way back to the party, don't you think? Your parents are probably worried about you, Swan."

"Sounds like a plan."


End file.
